Are the Gatekeepers All Soul Elders?

Yu Yuanzhen reacted fiercely. Seeing the astonishment on Yu Tianjun's face, he barely managed to calm down and said through gritted teeth.

"That bastard left me a letter, saying he wanted to go out and make his own way. He said the clan had neglected him and that he wanted to carve out a place for himself."

Yu Yuanzhen cursed furiously.

"If the clan hadn't provided him with cultivation resources, how could someone with innate half-level Soul Power possibly have reached level nineteen at his age? Yet the people I sent out couldn't find him."

"That bastard can't learn anything else, but he sure learned how to hide his tracks quickly!"

After speaking angrily, Yu Yuanzhen felt a little reluctant in his heart.

After all, he was his own son. Only fifteen years old, with such low cultivation—even encountering a bandit could become a life-or-death trial. It would be a lie to say he was not worried.

But still in the heat of the moment, Yu Yuanzhen soon stopped dwelling on it.

Yu Xiaogang was not stupid either. Before leaving, he had taken proof of his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan identity. Anyone with a little knowledge would give him some face.

If they did not even know the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, they could not be very strong, and Yu Xiaogang would be capable of handling them.

But this was also one reason Yu Yuanzhen agreed with Yu Tianjun's decision to conceal the information about the Immortal Herbs.

There were so many hidden guards in the clan, all at least three-ringed Soul Elders. How could they possibly fail to find Yu Xiaogang?

This could only mean that someone within the clan did not want Yu Xiaogang to return and believed he had disgraced the clan.

In that case, it would be better for him to live well outside as a Soul Master.

"Forget it."

Thinking of this, Yu Yuanzhen sighed.

"Let's return to the clan first. I still have several Immortal Herbs suitable for your second uncle and the others. The key is to turn them into strength as soon as possible."

Yu Tianjun nodded, and Yu Yuanzhen swiftly headed toward the clan.

Outside Spirit City.

Yu Xiaogang, covered in dust from the road, had finally arrived.

Relying on his Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan credentials and his level-nineteen Soul Power, Yu Xiaogang's journey had been fairly uneventful despite a few scares.

"Halt. State your identity."

Outside Spirit City, a guard raised his hand and blocked Yu Xiaogang's path.

"Yu Xiaogang, Blue... an unaffiliated Soul Master."

Yu Xiaogang hesitated slightly before ultimately choosing to conceal his identity.

He wanted to carve out a place for himself, not live under the shadow of the clan.

Sensing Yu Xiaogang's aura, the guard nodded faintly.

"Go in."

Yu Xiaogang stepped forward and entered Spirit City.

After traveling such a long way, he considered himself fairly worldly. Yet when he saw how many Soul Masters there were in the enormous Spirit City, he could not help but be amazed.

"Spirit Hall truly deserves to be the continent's foremost force. It actually occupies such an important city, and the two great empires simply tolerate it."

Yu Xiaogang muttered in amazement.

"What did you say?"

A young woman's voice suddenly rang out.

Yu Xiaogang turned and saw that the newcomer wore a loose robe and a veil that concealed her face, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Watch what you say. Spirit Hall has never been an enemy of the two great empires."

Bibi Dong said coldly, letting a trace of her aura spill forth.

This man spoke without thinking. If someone with ulterior motives heard him, they would surely claim that the people of Spirit City disrespected the two great empires.

No matter how powerful Spirit Hall was, it did not wish to provoke the two great empires for no reason.

"Yes, yes, I misspoke. Please forgive me, miss."

Feeling Bibi Dong's powerful aura, Yu Xiaogang broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly cupped his hands in apology.

Bibi Dong snorted lightly. Too lazy to look at Yu Xiaogang again, she turned and left. During her return journey, she had already broken through level fifty and was planning to have Qian Xunji find someone to take her hunting for a Soul Ring. She had no time to waste talking to an idle stranger.

Only after Bibi Dong left did Yu Xiaogang let out a breath of relief.

Spirit City was truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Judging from that woman's voice, she was young as well, no more than twenty at most, yet her aura was already comparable to the Soul King powerhouses within the clan.

Even Yu Tianjun was probably no match for her.

Thinking of this, Yu Xiaogang actually felt a hint of satisfaction.

No matter how strong Yu Tianjun was, he was only considered a genius within the clan. The world was vast, and there were plenty of people who could put him in his place.

Like that woman just now—if she fought Yu Tianjun, she would definitely win!

With that thought, the heart that had been frightened into his throat just moments ago felt much lighter.

"Since I'm already in Spirit City, I might as well find an academy here and study for a while."

A gleam flashed in Yu Xiaogang's eyes.

"An academy established by Spirit Hall must be no less capable of educating students than the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan!"

Unfortunately, what Yu Xiaogang did not realize was that while this was true, he could not enjoy the treatment given to the clan leader's youngest son here.

Arriving at the entrance to the academy founded by Spirit Hall, Yu Xiaogang stood proudly.

Though his talent was ordinary, he had cultivated diligently for nearly ten years. He also possessed the knowledge he had gained from reading the clan's many ancient texts. Entering an academy should be easy.

Just as he was about to enter, Yu Xiaogang was stopped by the guard at the entrance.

The guard frowned. The academy housed the descendants of many important figures from Spirit Hall. How could just anyone enter?

"Do you have identification?"

Yu Xiaogang sneered. "I'm here to enroll."

Yu Xiaogang still had some sense. He had not become bold enough to claim he was here to be a teacher just because he had read a few clan-owned texts. Instead, he applied for admission.

Though in Yu Xiaogang's heart, his store of knowledge was already enough to make him a teacher.

After all, he had evaded the clan's hidden guards' pursuit. At the very least, he could be an anti-tracking instructor.

Still unaware that certain people in the clan had already given up on him, Yu Xiaogang was full of pride. Too lazy to say more, he directly summoned his Soul Ring.

A pale yellow Soul Ring rose up.

"This is a hundred-year Soul Ring. Ordinary people can't absorb one."

Yu Xiaogang had expected the guard to politely let him in, perhaps even escort him inside. Instead, he was immediately dumbfounded.

The guard sneered, directly activating Martial Soul Possession as two yellow and one purple Soul Rings rose around him.

"Those below level twenty may not enter the advanced academy. Also, Spirit City is not like your little backwater village. There are plenty of hundred-year Soul Rings here!"

The guard truly did not know what Yu Xiaogang was being so arrogant about.

A normal child from a farming family, once fully grown, would have enough physical strength to absorb a hundred-year Soul Ring. They simply had no one to take them hunting for one. How did Yu Xiaogang dare take pride in this?

Yu Xiaogang stiffened his neck.

What kind of joke was this? Even a guard at an academy entrance was three-ringed?

And with the optimal Soul Ring configuration?

Were academies founded by Spirit Hall all this extravagant?

"Go on, get going. This is an academy founded by Spirit Hall. How can it compare to some elementary academy in your little city? Hurry along. You might have a chance at an intermediate academy."

The guard spoke reasonably enough, merely taking Yu Xiaogang for an ignorant village child who had awakened a Martial Soul by chance and become arrogant.

After saying that, the guard returned to his booth, no longer paying any attention to Yu Xiaogang, who stood there in utter disarray.